The Frame
A photo blog of world events by Sacbee.com Assistant Director of Multimedia Tim Reese.
Subscribe to feed Subscribe to this blog's feed
November 9, 2012
Keeping up a routine aboard the USS Underwood

ABOARD THE USS UNDERWOOD (AP) -- The crew of the USS Underwood is waiting.

Somewhere amid the endless expanse of water that surrounds the U.S. Navy frigate, drug traffickers are speeding millions of dollars of contraband from Latin American shores to the U.S. The ship's mission is to stop at least some of that traffic, which from day to day means spending long hours searching the Western Hemisphere's coasts while preparing for action.

Endless duties and drills fill the day, as the crew trains for everything from a terrorist attack to a riot at port. At night, sailors sleep in tiny cubicles so cramped that many can't turn onto their sides.

In October, the 30-year-old vessel was patrolling the Caribbean waters off Panama, as part of a multinational effort to hit illicit trafficking routes on both coasts of the Central American isthmus.

Since it set sail with a crew of 260 in April 2012, it's visited ports in Panama, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Netherland Antilles and Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The Underwood is the oldest surface combatant ship in the U.S. Navy but no longer carries guided missiles. In fact, the recent deployment was the Underwood's last voyage, with 10 other U.S. Navy ships scheduled to be decommissioned early next year.

(24 images)




uss_underwood_life_01.jpg
A helicopter takes off for training purposes onboard the USS Underwood on Oct. 11, 2012 while patrolling in international waters near Panama. In October, the 30-year-old ship was patrolling the Caribbean waters off Panama, as part of a multi-national effort to hit illicit trafficking routes on both coasts of the Central American isthmus. The deployment was the Underwood's last voyage, with 10 other U.S. Navy ships scheduled to be decommissioned early next year. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_02.jpg
Boatswain's Mate 3 Billy Lewis, from Trenton, Tenn., watches a helicopter land on the flight deck from the window of a hatch door onboard the USS Underwood while patrolling in international waters near Panama Oct. 16, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_03.jpg
A helicopter takes off from the flight deck, seen through a window on a water-tight door onboard the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 15, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_04.jpg
A sailor on flight deck duty, left, carries sniper rifles as sharpshooters leave the helicopter Oct. 15, 2012 after returning from a routine patrol onboard the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_05.jpg
Ground crew prepare to assist in a helicopter lift off on the flight deck onboard the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 15, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_06.jpg
A U.S. Navy helicopter and a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) participate in a drug interdiction training exercise seen from the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 11, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_07.jpg
Sailors on flight deck duty watch a helicopter approach during re-supply operations onboard the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 20, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_08.jpg
Lt. J6 Rachel Dequay, from Slidell, La., right, and Ensign 4 Xavier Joyner, from Atlanta, Ga., perform duties at the bridge of the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 11, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_09.jpg
A sailor participates in a drill at the engine room of the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 11, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_10.jpg
Sailors listen to orders during a meeting at the mess deck of the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 10, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_11.jpg
The door to the galley of the USS Underwood stands ajar in international waters during lunch service near Panama Oct. 10, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_12.jpg
Rounds are lined up as sailors participate in small arms certifications onboard the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 18, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_13.jpg
A sailor participates in small arms target practice on the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 10, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_14.jpg
Sailors participate in M4 rifle small arms certification on the flight deck onboard the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 12, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_15.jpg
U.S. Navy sailors wait for their turn at small arms target practice on the flight deck of the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 10, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_16.jpg
A sailor grimaces during Oleoresin Capsicum (OT) certification, or pepper spray certification, onboard the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 19, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_17.jpg
Chief Logistics Specialist LaKing Brooks is covered in whipped cream and syrup after participating in a "pie in the eye" fund raiser for the Second Class Petty Officers' Association during the 237th birthday of the U.S. Navy on the flight deck onboard the USS Underwood while patrolling in international waters near Panama Oct. 13, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_18.jpg
A U.S. Navy sailor poses for a yearbook photo at the mess deck of the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 9, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_19.jpg
A sailor works out as others eat a meal of burgers and hot dogs on the flight deck on the 237th birthday of the U.S. Navy onboard the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 13, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_20.jpg
A sailor works out topside onboard the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 9, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_21.jpg
A sailor stands near the entrance to the flight deck onboard the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 10, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_22.jpg
Chief Petty Officer Jose Negron, from Fitchburg, Mass., reads in his bunk before sleeping onboard the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 23, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_23.jpg
A sunrise is viewed from onboard the USS Underwood in international waters near Panama Oct. 11, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
uss_underwood_life_24.jpg
The USS Underwood patrols in international waters near Panama Oct. 16, 2012. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills
Posted by
2:32 PM 2:38 PM | Comments

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

About Comments

Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.

What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com

Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)

Here are some rules of the road:

• Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "report abuse" button to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.

• Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.

• Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.

• Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand. If you want to discuss an issue with a specific user, click on his profile name and send him a direct message.

• Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.

• Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.

• Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.

• Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.

You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "report abuse" button to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.

If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them, but you may ask our staff to retract one of your comments by sending an email to feedback@sacbee.com. Again, make sure you note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us your profile name.

hide comments
blog comments powered by Disqus